Air conditioning apparatus



Marc 17, 19 T. w. CARRAWAY AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March 17, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 F'wl gwumm '5 7720mm I44 @rrawa March 17, 1953 w, c w 2,631,830

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Max ch 17, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wm kw UL.LLHL\ \L L LQLLLL amaalQQrramJ 1 EJM,W%M

March 17, 1953 T. w. CARRAWAY AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 17, 1949 1 VI: Mun.

awe/WM Mom; 60. CZzrraa/ag H II JFORNEXS March 1953 1-. w. CARRAWAY AIR CONDITIONING A PPARA TUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 17, 1949 Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES 2,631,830 7 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Thomas W. Carraway, Dallas, Tex.

Application March 17, 1949, Serial No. 81,880

2 Claims.

This invention relates to air conditioning apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for liquid, e. g. water, in a finely dividedor mist like form in the intermediate and upper portions of the casing. Air is introduced into the casing above the liquid dispersing equipment and is drawn upwardly through the casing by a fan and discharged at or adjacent to the top of the casing after having been cooled by contact with and evaporation of the dispersed liquid.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved air conditioning apparatus having a novel construction and operating characteristics which render the apparatus especially suitable for cooling selected small or limited regions, particularly in dwellings.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character referred to which, although of economical construction, is compact, having regard to its cooling capacity, and is of neat appearance rendering it suitable for use in nicely furnished rooms.

Another object of the invention is to provide an evaporative liquid type air cooling apparatus including improved equipment for supplying and dispersing liquid in finely divided or mist-like form in an air stream.

A further object of the invention is to provide an easily portable air conditioning unit.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure. 1 is a central vertical sectional view of an air conditioning unit embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Figure l, drawn on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line'33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail fragmentary elevational 2 View of an intermediate casing section shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a detail rview, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing liquid dispersing equipment;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of a dispersing disk, a shaft being shown in section;

Figure 8 is an enlarged elevational view of a retractable caster and leg equipment;

Figure 9 is a vertical section on the line 9-'-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of part of an evaporative liquid service tank and associated float operated valve;

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view of a modified casing cover; and

Figure 12 is a top plan view of the cover shown in Figure 11.

The portable air conditioning unit shown by way of example in Figures 1 to 10 inclusive comprises a sectional casing generally designated A, provided with air inlet openings l, air outlet openings 2 above the inlet openings, and a fan B for drawing air through the openings I into the casing, then upwardly in the casing, and then discharging the air outwardly through the openings 2 adjacent the top of the casing. Equipment designated C mounted in the bottom part of the casing serves to disperse or difiuse evaporative liquid, e. g. water, in the air stream flowing through the casing so as to cool the air by evaporation.

The casing is constructed in three sections, namely, a bottom section 3, an intermediate section 6, and a top section 5, which are so constructed that they may easily be assembled and secured together to provide a casing which has clean, uninterrupted outer lines and which is of neat appearance rendering the unit especially suited for use in homes. The bottom section 3 is provided with three caster supports 5 which may extend over or overlap the intermediate section 4. The upper parts of the supports ii are connected to the bottom and intermediate sections 3 and s-by bolts l-'l; and the bottom portions of the caster supports 6 are connected to the lower part of the bottom section 3 by bolts 8.

The intermediate section 4 is formed with an inwardly offset, downward extending flange 9 which fits snugly within the upper part of the bottom section 3. The shoulder on the intermediate section t surrounding the upper part of the flange :l rests or fits upon the top edge of the bottom section 3 as shown in Figures 1 and 9. By virtue of this construction, the sections 3 and t may easily be assembled and an uninterrupted smooth outer surface is provided.

The top section 5 is formed at its lower end with an inwardly offset, downwardly extending flange I which fits in the upper part of the intermediate section 4, and has a shoulder surrounding the upper part of the flange I0 and resting or fitting on the top edge of the intermediate section 4, the joint between the intermediate and top sections being similar to the joint between the bottom and intermediate sections. Bolts l I may be provided for securing the assembled intermediate and top sections in place.

The top section also is formed at its upper end with an inwardly offset, upwardly extending flange I2 which receives or fits inside of the vertical circumferential wall part I 3 of a dome-shaped cover M, the lower edge of the cover wall I3 resting or fitting upon the shoulder surrounding the bottom part of the flange I2.

The sectionalized construction of the casing A facilitates manufacture and assembly, and therefore permits economical production, in addition to providing a construction which is of neat appearance, well suited for use in living-rooms or other parts of domestic dwellings. The provision of the caster mountings 6, to be described more particularly hereinafter, makes it possible to move the unit easily to different locations where limited or spot cooling is desired.

The bottom casing section 3 serves to mount and enclose the equipment C for dispersing or difiusing evaporative liquid in the air stream passing through the casing. As shown in Figure '1, the bottom'section 3 is provided With a bottom wall I5 which, in connection with the side walls of the section 3, provides or forms a main reservoir or supply tank I6. Mounted in the tank I6 is a smaller service tank I7, which is constantly supplied with liquid from the main reservoir IS. The tank I1 includes a tube I 8 extending vertically and axially with respect to the casing A. A motor I9, supported underneath the bottom wall I5 by a hanger 20, has a shaft 2i extending upwardly through the tube I8. The shaft 2i supports and serves to rotate equipment for lifting liquid from the service tank I1, and throwing it upwardly and outwardly to disperse it in the air stream to produce the desired evaporative cooling of the air.

"In accordance with the invention, the liquidlifting equipment includes an inverted frustoconical member or receptacle 22 having a central sleeve part 23 secured to the shaft 2I by means such as a set screw 24. A liquid tight seal 25 is interposed between the lower end of the central sleeve part 23 and the stationary tube I8. A sealed ball-bearing assembly 26 is interposed between the upper end of the tube i8 and the sleeve part 23 of the frusto-conical member 22. The outer or inclined wall part of the member 22 is formed with openings 27 for permitting liquid in the service tank ii to enter the frusto-conical member, so that when the latter is rotated the liquid will be lifted and thrown upwardly by lifter vanes 28 which extend spirally around the axis of the frusto-conical member and diverge outwardly from bottom to top as best shown in Figure 5. Preferably the vanes 28 are each formed along its outer edge with a rib 28.

In order more effectively to distribute or diffuse the evaporative liquid throughout the air stream, a target disk 29 is mounted on the upper end of the shaft 2!, being secured to the shaft in any suitable manner, for example by a set screw 29 The disk 29 is formed with an inner circular groove 38, and is provided with a series of slots or apertures 3I which extend from the root of the groove 3% at an inclination so as to open upwardly and outwardly at the top surface of the disk. The disk also is formed with an outer circular groove 32 whichi concentric with the groove 39). A series of radial slots 33 extend from the groove 32 outwardly to the periphery of the disk 29. The service tank I? is fitted with a plurality of division walls or baflles I l the inner edges of which are spaced from the member 22 sufliciently to provide operating clearance. The walls Il prevent the liquid in the tank I? from being whirled to form a vortex and spilling into the tank Hi.

In operation, when the frusto-conical member 22 and the disk 29 are rotated, evaporative liquid is picked up and thrown off by the member'22 so that part of the liquid will be thrown upwardly and outwardly beyond the periphery of the disk 29, and the remainder of the liquid will be thrown against the disk. Some of the liquid which impinges upon the disk 29 will be thrown substantially radially outwardly by centrifugal force, and some of the liquid will enter the grooves 30 and 32. Liquid entering the groove 39 will flow through the inclined slots 3! so as to be thrown centrifugally upwardly and outwardly above the disk 29. Liquid will flow from the groove 32 radially outwardly through the slots 33 so as to collide, so to speak, with liquid thrown upwardly and outwardly from the top edge of the member 22. In this manner, substantially the entire cross sectional area of the casing A, except for its ex"- treme outer portion, is filled with finely atomized, diffused, or dispersed evaporative liquid approximating a fog or mist which results in efficient evaporative cooling of the air passing through'the casing.

Referring to the construction of the intermediate casing section t, the inlet openings I therein preferably are formed by providing. a series of vertical slits in the outer wall and then turning parts of the wall adjacent the slits in-' wardly to provide stiffening flanges 34. Mount ed within the intermediate section 4- and above the inlet openings I is a throat member 35 which diverges from the casing axis from bottom to top as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The throat member 35 is connected at its top edge and'in any suitable manner to the casing sec-' tion and at its bottom is formed with a flange 36 to which is secured the top ring 31 of abaffle structure generally designated 33. The bafile structure comprises a series of vertically ex tending bafiies 39, connected at their tops to the ring 31 and connected at their bottoms to a ring 49. Each baiiie 39 is L-shaped in hori zontal section and, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, includes a long part 38* which is chordal with respect to the casing, and a short part 39' which extends at an angle to the long part 39 The long parts Se are so positioned as to diverge from each other from their inner to their outer edges, as shown in Figure 2. In operation, the bailies 39 prevent liquid dispersed by the equipment C from bein thrown outwardly through the air inlet openings I. Any liquid which is intercepted by the baifles and i not evaporated by the incoming air will drain back into the main reservoir I5;

Preferably, the intermediate section 4 is also provided, above the throat 35, with a reticulated mat structure which may serve as a filter for removing dust from the air, but which principally provides a zone of multitudinous, minute airpassages through which the air passes in contact with moistened fibrous material so as to efiect a supplemental evaporative cooling, augmenting the cooling efiected in the region or zone of liquid dispersal. The mat structure also serves to p vent stray unevaporated drops of liquid from being blown outwardly through the discharge openings 2. In the construction shown, the top of the throat member is formed with an inwardly extending flange 41' which serve as a support for the outer ring 42 of a reticulated mat 43. A spacer ring 44, resting upon the outer ring 42, serves to support the outer ring 45 of another reticulated mat 46.

A ring 41, secured inside the top casing section 5 and surrounding the fan B, provides a lightly restricted passage for air flow. The outlet openings 2 in the top casing section 5 are immediately above the ring 4! and may be formed in the. same manner as that in which the inlet openings I are formed in the intermediate casing section 4.

A motor 49 for driving the fan B is supported on top of an inverted frusto-conical member 58 which is formed with an upwardly extending flange 5| fitted inside of and secured to the flan l2 at the upper end of the top section 5.' The motor shaft extends downwardly through a sleeve 52 for connection to the fan B. Thus the motor 49 is recessed, so to speak, in the upper end of the casing A, and is obscured from view b the dome-shaped cover l4.

Optimum operation of the equipment C can be obtained only by maintaining the evaporative liquid at the proper level in the service tank ll. For accomplishing this purpose the flow of liquid from the main storage tank Hi to the service tank I I is regulated closely so as to maintain the liquid in the tank H constantly at the proper level. A simple and very effectiv means for maintaining the proper liquid level includes a port 53 (see Figure 10) in the tank I? below the level of liquid in the tank IE, and a cooperating valve 54 carried by an arm 55 pivotally mounted on a bracket 56 and equipped with a float 51. Because of the low static pressure at the level of the port 53, the very simple and economical valve construction shown maintains a very delicate and exact control of the working level in the servic tank 11.

Figures 11 and 12 show a modified form of cover 58 and top casing section 59 which may be used in place of the cover It! and top section 5 described with reference to Figure l. The modified top section 59 is similar to the section 5 previously described, with the exceptionthat it is not formed with outlet openings corresponding to the openings 2 in the section 5. The modified top section 59 is, however, formed with an inwardly offset, upwardly extending flange 68 adapted to receive the downwardly extendin flange 6! of the modified cover 58.

The cover 58 includes an outer annular part 62 from which the flange 6| depends, the part 62 in the main, however, extending at an inclination upwardly and outwardly from an inner, depending flange 63. Secured to the annular part 52 are three arcuate radial ribs 64 which serve to support concentrically arranged and spaced annular members 65 shaped similarly to the member 62, with the exception that they have no flanges corresponding to the flange 6|. The ribs 64 also support a central member 66. The spacing and concentric arrangement of the parts 62, 65 and 66 provide upwardly and outwardly diverging air outlet openings 6?.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the caster-mounting equipments 6 comprise caster wheels 68 car ried by vertical stems 69 mounted for turning and sliding movement in lugs or cars '|!llll. Each stem 59 is urged upwardly by a spring ll interposed between the lower lug or ear 1%) and a pin 12 extending transversely through the stem 69. Thus, normally, the casters are in the retracted position shown in full lines in Figure 9, permitting the casing structure to rest firmly upon a fiOOr- In order that the casters may easily be moved to the dotted line position shown in Figure 9 for facilitating moving the unit, the upper end I3 of each stem 69 is arranged to cooperate with a cam 74 pivoted as at 15. The arrangement is such that when the cam is rocked counterclockwise from the position shown in full lines in Figure 9 to the position shown in dotted lines in this figure, the stem 69 is pushed downwardly against the urge of the spring H so as to move th caster wheel 68 to its extended or floor-engaging position.

Any suitable means may be provided for filling the main reservoir It. In the form shown, a retractable filler spout or lip 16 is pivoted at H to the intermediate casing section 4. The arrangement is such that the spout 1'6 may be extended to facilitate pouring of water into the reservoir l6, and ma then be retracted so as to merge with the general contour of the casing.

The construction shown embodies the invention in a preferred form, but it is intended that the disclosure of a preferred embodiment be illustrative rather than definitive of the invention. The invention is defined in the claims.

I claim:

LA sectionally constructed portable air conditioning unit, comprising a bottom casing section including a tank for evaporative liquid; means carried by said bottom section for picking liquid up from said tank and discharging it in dispersed form above said bottom section; an intermediate casing section provided at its lower end with an inwardly offset, downwardly extending flange which fits inside of said bottom section, and with a horizontal shoulder which fits down on the top edge of said bottom casing section; air inlet openings in the lower part of said intermediate section; a throat member mounted in said intermediate section above said inlet openings; a series of vertically extending baiiies carried by said throat member and extending downwardly past said inlet openings; a reticulated mat mounted within said intermediate section and supported removably on said throat member; a top casing section provided at its lower end with an inwardly ofiset, downwardly extending flange which fits inside of said intermediate section and with a shoulder which fits down on the top edge of said intermediate section, and provided at its upper end with an inwardly offset upwardly extending flange; air outlet openings in said top section; an inverted frusto-conical end section mounted within said top section with its base uppermost and secured to said top section immediately above said air outlet openings; a motor mounted on top of said end section and having a vertical shaft extending downwardly therethrough; a fanon said' shaft below said end section; and a cover section having a vertical wall portion which fits over the upwardly extending flange on said top casing section.

2. In air conditioning apparatus, a casing providing an air duct; means for moving air through said duct; an open top tank in said duct for containing evaporative liquid; rotatable means for dipping into said tank and picking up liquid and throwing it upwardly into said duct; and a horizontal disperser disk mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having its bottom surface arranged as a target in the path of the liquid thrown by said rotatable means, said disk having a circular groove in its bottom, and slots open at the bottom leading from the groove to the periphery of the disk.

THOMAS W. CARRAW'AY. I

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 20 Number 8 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Cramer Sept. 5, 1905 Brassert Apr. 30, 191i} Freedenburg May 13, 1924 Braemer Jan. 17, 1928 Cutler Jan. 28, 1930 James June 24, 1930 Cutler Aug. 4, 1931 Cramer Mar. 15, 1932 Lundquist Mar. 27, 1934 Whitmer Mar. 31, 1936 Harris Oct. 15, 1940 Bohnson Nov. 11, 1941 Lyons et al Dec. 30, 1941 Torrence Mar. 12, 1942 Ihler Sept. 29, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Mar. 24, 1909 

